To the Editor:Ours is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization whose purpose is to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse at all levels of local governments. This is our mission statement.
The best way to accomplish this is to require those who serve in our highest executive position to live here and be directly accountable to our electorate. Human nature: Leaders are more prudent with their own local tax dollars –especially when counting on their neighbor’s vote in the next election. Currently, our city manager lives near Seattle and is not held accountable by election.
Despite claims made by the opposition, preventing waste, fraud, and abuse aren’t partisan issues. We are not a partisan group; we have Democrat and Republican leaning members.
The current, unelected City Manager is naturally prone to exaggerate the cost of adding the mayoral issue to the November ballot. Yet according to hard estimates gleaned from county records, the total cost for the entire process is closer to $5,000 than his $50,000 distortion. It would certainly be less than the ridiculous $50,000 he spent on the Metropolitan Parks District the voters overwhelmingly rejected — and less than
the $28,000 committee he just hired to brainstorm how voters think. The most efficient poll is called Election Day!
Furthermore, while it’s been argued that a mayoral election could be more expensive when only two candidates run, more than three qualified candidates have already stepped up to serve.
Let voters decide for themselves this coming November; it’s time we have a say in such matters.